


hold onto hope (if you got it)

by rosewitchx



Series: "it's a hoot that you don't get why we need this." [18]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Spoilers, Canonical Character Death, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Hurt Scott Lang, Isolation, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Quantum Realm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Survival, Time Travel, idk what else to tag this., sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 06:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15309519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosewitchx/pseuds/rosewitchx
Summary: his heart aches. he knows, he's known for eons now, that something terrible's happened.or, scott spends an eternity in the quantum realm.





	hold onto hope (if you got it)

**Author's Note:**

> both iw and amatw spoilers if somehow u havent seen em yetttttttt  
> title: 26 - paramore  
> [the playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/rosewitchx/playlist/2mDf4Nsz3vGyA24bGR6dAW?si=UtbIdFEERwmK71tvVsoalQ)

the first day stranded, scott doesn't stop trying to contact them. he can't stay there, this prank's gone on for too long,  _he promised cassie he'd be there for her game._ he can't be late, he has her shoes! she's— hope's gonna get him out, right? right?

the first week stranded, scott tries not to lose hope. this obviously isn't a joke, not anymore; he only has the warm glow of the particles that were meant for ava and his own thoughts. he sings, he talks to no one, he jokes to himself. he cries into the comms. he talks, and talks, and talks.

the first month stranded, scott thinks of cassie. is she okay? is she safe?

and scott screams into the void. and the void doesn't scream back.

the first year stranded is hard, to say the least. prolonged exposure to the quantum realm is damaging to the human brain, and he definitely feels that. he thinks about hope, janet, hank, ava, wonders what could have happened, wonders if they're alive, wonders if — somehow — they're looking for him.

he loses hopes slowly, like it's dripping out of his body. he stops fighting the tardigrades. he stops pushing against the distortions.

by his fifth year, he gives up.

cassie — she must have given up too, he figures. she's all grown-up now, he thinks, or at least close to that. if she's even alive.

he falls through a time vortex, falls for a thousand years or more, falls through ages past and future and present alike, and he closes his eyes, hoping to never wake up. instead, he opens them to captain america and a raccoon.

"scott," steve rogers says; he looks actually surprised, and scott thinks he might be hallucinating again. "no, you're not— _what_?"

"dad!"

a pair of arms wrap themselves around him. they're not cap's, he's looking behind him, seeming completely lost. scott looks up, and his breath catches in his throat.

there, wearing hope's suit, stands a young lady. her hair is short and bobby, curling around her neck gently, and her eyes dwell with tears. and he doesn't recognize her at first, what with the brackets and pimples, but eventually it clicks in his brain and he holds her close.

" _cassie._ "

his heart aches. he knows, he's known for eons now, that something terrible's happened. cassie's tears and cap's empty eyes tell him so, and he's forced to ask: "where's hope?"

and tony stark, looking deader than death, with trembling hands and bloodshot eyes, tells him: "dead." there's not a hint of snark in his voice, not a single hint of whoever hank used to hate so much. there's just emptiness, and exhaustion, and scott doesn't need to hear him finish.

the first day back on earth, scott cries. scott mourns.

the second day back on earth, though? he gets to work.

he did just spend an eternity mourning. he's wasted enough time.

**Author's Note:**

> im sad and need validation


End file.
